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Signs and Posters Toolbox

This toolbox provides information on signing inside and outside wilderness. FS sign policy, guidelines, sources and examples are provided along with logos and symbols for all agencies. In addition to the resources provided here, you may also be able to obtain advice and recommendations through discussion on Wilderness Connect. Date of last update: 7/19/12.
  1. Overview
    1. Introduction
      The topic of signs in wilderness is one that often prompts discussion and differing view among those dedicated to wilderness stewardship. The diversity of opinions ranges from those who would prefer to see no signs in wilderness to those who think management efforts or visitor experience would be more effective with additional signage. The Wilderness Act established wilderness for the "use and enjoyment" of visitors but also tells us that it is for primitive recreation and is to remain undeveloped (see Wilderness Act and Signs). Because the law does not provide more specific direction the managing agencies have developed policies to implement the law and strike a balance between seemingly different needs for signing in wilderness.

      Signs and posters displayed at trailheads, visitor contact stations and other venues can be effective communication tools for wilderness information and education. The design, content, size, color, and placement of the trailhead information boards or other signs is often dependent on agency, regional, or unit guidelines and local sources should be consulted. The guidelines and examples provided in this toolbox are a sample of what is in use currently. Additional resources will be added as they are received.
    2. The Wilderness Act of 1964 and Signs
    3. Wilderness Sign Policy and Guidelines
      1. FWS Policy (610 FW 2.34, 2.35)
      2. FS
        1. Wilderness Sign Policy
          1. Wilderness is designated as an area that is "for the use and enjoyment of the American people" and it "opportunities for … primitive recreation". But it is also an area that is undeveloped and in 'contrast to those areas where man and his works dominate the landscape". To meet these mandates, expressed in The Wilderness Act of 1964, agencies have developed policies and guidelines for signs in wilderness that provide necessary information but refrain from allowing wilderness to become developed. The direction for management of wilderness in the national forests is found in FSM 2320 and other directives as noted below.

            Wilderness signs can be used at trailheads and entry points to inform visitors about the wilderness resource, provide information on maps, post regulations, and help educate visitors on the use of Leave No Trace techniques.
          2. 2320.3.10
          3. 2323.12
          4. 2323.13f 1.
          5. 2324.33f
        2. Sign and Poster Guidelines
          1. EM 7100-15 Sign and Poster Guidelines (on FSWEB)
          2. Engineering Management Publications 7100-15 Sign and Poster Guidelines (on FSWEB)
          3. Engineering - Signs and Posters
        3. R2 Trailhead Sign Guidelines
          Forests and Districts in R2 should follow these 4 elements:
          1. Consistent header with the name of the trailhead and the name of the wilderness on the header. (Usually white letters on sky-blue background, but others have tried different color backgrounds.)
          2. Consistent wolf logo at the bottom with the words "National Wilderness Preservation System."
          3. Consistent "you-are-here" map
          4. Consistent LNT and wilderness messages using the themes messages that have been developed or the "icon" with bullet statements (developed by Dick Ostergaard).
        4. Wilderness Boundary Sign Request Form (filled out by the Gallatin NF)
  2. Sign Sources
    1. Wilderness Sign Vendors
    2. Motor Vehicle Trespass Sign Sources
      (from the Gallatin National Forest - Kimberley Schlenker)

      Process all orders through agency procurement processes

      Sources:

      JWOD (mandatory first opportunity to bid)

      If JWOD cannot meet requirements: Shenango Screenprinting in Coeur D'Alene, 6120 Commerce Loop, Post Falls, ID 83854. Contact is Gene Omara - (208) 667-1406. Recent cost (21004) was about $50 per sign.

      Disposable COREX plastic version of the large orange signs available in Bozeman, MT at Hands On Screenprinting - about $5.00 each.
  3. Sign Templates - From the Forest Service San Dimas Technology and Development Center
    1. How To
    2. Sample Signs
      1. 24x18 Sample
      2. 24x36 Sample 1
      3. 24x36 Sample 2
    3. Color schemes
      1. Great Plains
        1. Scheme 1
        2. Scheme 2
        3. Scheme 3
      2. Lakes
        1. Scheme 1
        2. Scheme 2
        3. Scheme 3
      3. Northeast
        1. Scheme 1
        2. Scheme 2
        3. Scheme 3
      4. North Pacific
        1. Scheme 1
        2. Scheme 2
      5. Rocky Mountain
        1. Scheme 1
        2. Scheme 2
        3. Scheme 3
        4. Scheme 4
      6. Southeast Coastal
      7. Southwest
        1. Scheme 1
        2. Scheme 2
    4. Templates
      1. Illustrator Files (.ai)
      2. Illustrator Template Files (.ait)
    5. Fonts
    6. Bitmap icons
      1. ANTLER
      2. ANTLER WITH FLOWERS
      3. ARROWHEAD
      4. BEAR
      5. BEAR AT TREE
      6. BIKER
      7. BINOCULARS
      8. BLM SHIELD
      9. BUTTERFLY
      10. CAT HOLE
      11. COW
      12. DOG ON LEASH
      13. DON'T
      14. FEED BAG
      15. FIRE RING
      16. FS SHIELD LARGE
      17. FS SHIELD SMALL
      18. GIARDIA
      19. GROUP SIZE 1
      20. GROUP SIZE 2
      21. HIKER
      22. HIKER ON TRAIL
      23. HOBBLES
      24. HORSE HEAD
      25. KEEP WILDERNESS WILD
      26. MAP
      27. MARMOT
      28. MR BILL
      29. NATIONALFOREST
      30. NPS SHIELD
      31. PACK HORSES
      32. PACK IT IN
      33. PLANT
      34. RAINGEAR
      35. RIDGE LIGHTNING
      36. SHEEP
      37. STICK HORSE
      38. STOVE
      39. TENT
      40. TENT STREAM
      41. TREE
      42. WATER DROP
      43. YIELD
  4. Examples
    1. Awareness
      1. FS
        1. What is Wilderness Poster (Uncompahgre Wilderness)
        2. What is Wilderness and Quotes
        3. Wilderness Wise Poster (Uncompahgre Wilderness)
      2. NPS
        1. Why Wilderness Posters
        2. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Wilderness Posters
          1. Forever Wild
          2. At Home
          3. Renewal
        3. Shenandoah National Park Wilderness Posters
          1. Forever Wild Poster - .jpg format or .eps format
          2. Renewal Poster - .jpg format or .eps format
          3. Solitude Poster - .jpg format or .eps format
          4. Traditional Tools Poster - .jpg format or .tif format
          5. Untrammeled Poster - .jpg format or .eps format
    2. Brochures
      1. Editable Trail Information Handout (Flathead National Forest)
      2. Wilderness Recreation Opportunity Guide (Uncompahgre Wilderness)
    3. Campfire Restrictions - Stoves
      1. Use a Stove Poster
        1. Poster 1 (High Uintas Wilderness)
        2. Poster 2 (High Uintas Wilderness)
      2. Restrictions Poster (Uncompahgre Wilderness)
      3. Restrictions Poster (Blank, High Uintas Wilderness)
    4. General Backcountry Travel and Use
      1. Travel Tips Handout (High Uintas Wilderness)
    5. Goat Packing Advisory Poster
    6. Hazard
      1. Post-Fire Hazards
        1. R1
          1. Sign 1
          2. Sign 2
        2. R5
        3. Klamath NF
          1. Sign 1
          2. Sign 2
        4. Six Rivers NF
      2. Hazard Trees
        1. NF in AL
        2. Sandia RD
    7. Leave No Trace
      1. FS San Dimas Technology Development Center Suggested Text
        1. Text 1
        2. Text 2
        3. Text 3
        4. Text 4
        5. Text 5
      2. General LNT Information
        1. Poster 1
        2. Poster 2
      3. 7 Principles
        1. Poster 1 (Uncompahgre Wilderness)
        2. Poster 2 (High Uintas Wilderness)
        3. Poster 3 (series of 1 poster per principle, BWCAW)
      4. Campsite Setbacks
        1. Setback Poster
          1. Poster 1 (High Uintas Wilderness)
          2. Poster 2 (High Uintas Wilderness)
        2. Setback Sign
          1. Sign 1 (High Uintas Wilderness)
          2. Sign 2 (Mount Sneffels Wilderness)
      5. Leave What You Find
        1. Poster 1
        2. Poster 2
      6. Recreation Livestock
        1. Highline Poster (High Uintas Wilderness)
        2. Weed Free Feed Poster
          1. Poster 1 (High Uintas Wilderness)
          2. Poster 2
        3. Grazing Closure Poster (High Uintas Wilderness)
      7. Respect Wildlife
        1. Poster 1
        2. Poster 2
      8. Sanitation-Waste Disposal
        1. Cathole Poster
          1. Poster 1 (High Uintas Wilderness)
          2. Poster 2 (High Uintas Wilderness)
          3. Poster 3 (White Mountain NF)
        2. Grand Canyon National Park LNT "When Nature Calls" Poster
    8. Motor Vehicle Trespass
      1. Closed to Motorized Vehicles Signs
        1. Sign 1
        2. Sign 2
      2. Snowmobile Signs and Posters
        1. Poster 1
        2. Poster 2 (11x17in) (Gallatin NF)
        3. Poster 3 (19x24in) (Gallatin NF)
        4. Poster 4 (National Forests)
        5. Poster 5 (National Forests)
        6. Poster 6 (Inyo NF)
        7. Poster 7 (Inyo NF)
        8. Sign 1
        9. Sign 2 (Uncompahgre Wilderness)
        10. Sign Information (Uncompahgre Wilderness)
      3. Winter Recreation
        1. Poster 1 (Inyo NF)
    9. Non-Native Invasive Species
      1. FS Engineering Management Publications 7100-15 Sign and Poster Guidelines for the FS - Weed Free Restrictions sign
      2. Frank Church Trailhead Posters
        1. Landscape Layout
        2. Portrait Layout
      3. FS R1 Northern Region Leave No Weeds poster
      4. Washington, Oregon NFs Weed Free Trailhead Poster
      5. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness - Weeds Poster
      6. Hiawatha NF - Wilderness Weeds Brochure
    10. Outfitters and Guides
      1. Permit Poster
        1. Poster 1 (High Uintas Wilderness)
        2. Poster 2 (High Uintas Wilderness)
    11. Permits
      1. Sign 1 (Yosemite Wilderness)
    12. Regulations
      1. FS San Dimas Technology Development Center Suggested Text
      2. Use Restrictions Poster (Mount Sneffels Wilderness)
    13. Safety
      1. FS San Dimas Technology Development Center Suggested Text
    14. Trailhead/Kiosk
      1. FS
        1. R1
          1. Trailhead Sign (Mission Mountains Wilderness)
        2. R2
          1. Trailhead Sign Themes
          2. Trailhead Sign 1
          3. Trailhead Sign 2
          4. Trailhead Sign 3
          5. Kiosk
        3. R4
          1. Wilderness Trailhead Sign .jpg .pdf
          2. Trailhead Area Access Map
          3. Kiosk
          4. Trailhead Information Boards (on FSWEB)
          5. Information Board Guidebook
        4. R8
          1. Trailhead Information Boards (on FSWEB)
          2. Cohutta Wilderness Poster
      2. NPS
        1. Rocky Mountain National Park Trailhead Sign
    15. Trail Use
      1. Shortcutting Poster
        1. Poster 1 (High Uintas Wilderness)
        2. Poster 2 (High Uintas Wilderness)
        3. Poster 3 (Breadloaf Wilderness)
      2. Trail Restrictions Poster (High Uintas Wilderness)
  5. Logos and Symbols
    1. Agency and Wilderness Logos
    2. Keep Wilderness Wild - National Wilderness Preservation System